Tales of a Self Insertion
by CrazySymphoniaguy
Summary: An absent minded teenager discovers he is actually a Summon Spirit destined to save Symphonia. How will he mess it up? And who will he fall in love with?


**Tales of a Self Insertion: **

**The Summoning**

**Hey all, I know you've probably seen this story out here before on ToS fan fiction, but I want you to know something. I'm rewriting it, for a third time. The first two were experimental, I hadn't established a writing style, the plot was dragging on and rushing at the same time, it was just too much of a pain for this author to handle. So, in order to maintain sanity and a good eye in the writing community, I am trying one more time. Give it a chance; I believe this rewrite is probably my best so far. **

***

If someone had told me that one year ago my world would disappear before my very eyes, I would scoff at them with a cool contempt. Now, I might do something a bit different. It happened on a decent day, a little cold, the winter chill just starting to set in. My home in the countryside is white with a newly fallen snow, sure to be gone by the next day's midmorning. I sit on my dark green bed spread, school books forming a semi circle around me. Words dance along the pages as my concentration slowly wanes. I finally give up, and go instead to look out the window at the snow. The sunset just begins, causing pink and red hues to flow over the snow like thousands of tiny rivers. It glitters in the light, reminding me of tiny gemstones.

Out in the yard, I noticed a crystal blue blob near our old apple tree, its limbs bearing the weight of pounds of snow, seeming to cover the object like a cold umbrella. Iridescent hues shined off of it in such a way as to hypnotize me. Without thinking, I made my way to the house entrance, retrieved a lightweight coat and boots, and went out to investigate the strange object. What I was expecting was a scooter, a baseball bat, something my little brother left out to rust from the moisture. What I found was much different.

Petals unfurled, its surface smooth and crystalline, it sparkled as the sun continued its journey down. It was a flower, growing in the middle of this east coast tundra. It gently reached out my hand to caress the fine petals, when time suddenly stopped. The entire world was black, like being plunged into the confines of an underground cavern. The flower remained, seeming to glow brighter in the darkness. A figure was standing behind it, flowing sea green hair down to her waist, and garbed in a strange robe of green and blue colors. Her eyes held a kindness to them – and a fear.

_Your journey begins here, _she said. Her voice reminded me of water running in a brook; it was so light and calming. She began to fade out, and a flashing bright light filled the space, I was momentarily blinded by its intensity. I rubbed my eyes, and soon found myself in a place far from my home.

***

I was standing in front of a seemingly endless tower, going high into the sky, past the clouds. Each level could be seen from the outside, separated by vast differences in design. The one closest to me was a fiery red, windowed section of it showing flames dancing inside its corridors. The next level was open entirely except for a few pillars to hold it in place. Waterfalls flowed from it, down into a moat like device surrounding most of the tower. Its stones were a simple dark gray, though the glow from the flames and the reflection from the shining water seemed to make them shine with an odd light.

The levels above continued to astound, each more ornate and complicated than the last, from an icy section with complex sculptures and thousands of icicles dangling from its sides, as if it were forever crying, to levels of complete darkness that could only hold horrors beyond human imagination. I finally snapped out of my trance long enough to notice the entrance. The doors were simplistic in design, plain wood, and I slowly opened one to a lobby like area that reminded me vaguely of an elevator, though much fancier and stranger than one I had ever seen. Before I could react, the floor began to move upward at a steady pace. I passed each floor along the way, again staring in amazement at their odd splendor. It stopped at a magnificent room, presumably at the top floor. A large glass table sat in the center, and three figures sat in plush, comfortable chairs around it. There was one side, however, that was totally devoid of a person.

The same woman that I had seen earlier got out of her seat, her robes flowing naturally behind her. She silently came up to me, a gentle smile taking form on her face. She stopped right in front of me, we were about the same height, and I could look right into her sea green eyes. She hesitated a second, before embracing me with an intensity one would never imagine of someone like her who looked so at ease and light. I could feel a single tear flow down my back. "You're back," was all she said. It felt so strange, like we had known each other long before, but I couldn't remember her. Even the figure that had appeared before me was different. The figure's voice was deeper then, it had gained the tone of a delighted young child.

"Now Martel, I'm sure he's confused enough," said a voice that sounded strangely throaty, like purring. I looked towards its owner, a yellow blonde fox with seven tails, each tipped in a turquoise shade. It seemed to be laughing – though I had no idea how a fox, even a magical looking one, could laugh.

The woman known as Martel pulled away from me slowly, the skin around her eyes still moist. She wiped them with the back of her hand, and quickly gained a look of utter seriousness. Seeing her standing there, regal and divine, it finally clicked where I had seen her before. It was in a video game I had played and loved dearly, Tales of Symphonia. It had a heart wrenching story, and Martel was a key player in its development. I tried not to look too surprised as I remembered other things rapidly. The fox demon was named Verius, the Summon Spirit of Heart, and the four armed muscle man sitting next to him was Origin, said to be King of the Summon Spirits. Martel herself wasn't one from what I could remember, at least, not one that was revealed.

"I see you finally understand," Martel said, a look of slight relief upon her face, "What you see before you is indeed a part of the game you know so well, but it isn't as it was."

I began to worry, the realization of my situation finally sinking in. "I am going back, right? I mean, I can't not go back." Martel's face looked grave. I took a deep breath as tears began to well up at the corners of my eyes, clouding my vision. I tried to choke it down. "I guess that means that I can't go back – doesn't it," malice oozed from my voice.

Martel brought me in another embrace, this one more for my comfort than hers, it didn't last long before she pulled away and began detailing my purpose for being in the tower. She was careful as to not pile it on too deeply at once. "You are not who you think you are. You have come to understand yourself as being human, when you are very much the opposite. You used to live here in this tower with me and the other Spirits more than a thousand years past. You had a happy existence, until disruption in the land of Symphonia caused you to go into a hibernation state. This disruption is what you will recall to be the Kharlan War, or the war in which Mithos fought. The combination of the destruction of the Holy tree of Kharlan and Mithos' beginning attempts at my physical resurrection caused your essence to slowly wither, until only a long period of rest would allow it to attain its former strength. The time has come for you to awaken, and use your power to help stop Mithos' destructive path and restore the world's mana by growing a new Kharlan tree. This is the reason the world appeared as a game in your dream state, to prepare you for the upcoming trials ahead. Be warned however that what one sees through a window can be distorted."

I tried not to stare, tears staining my eyes. Even with all of this, the idea that I was some Summon Spirit, some mystical savior didn't seem like it made a bit of sense. All the three could do was shake their heads and sigh, realizing the drastic effects of my "hibernation state". I wondered if I had really just snorted a shot of crack and taken some LSD, my life really being that of a grunge worker who managed a garbage dump and couldn't even afford to buy a prostitute. At this point, I was ready to believe anything.

Origins booming voice began to echo across the room. "We know this must be hard on you, and we wish that we could give you time to recover, but…It's just not possible. Mithos is at large, seeping up the world's mana as we speak."

Verius hopped out of his chair, slowly coming towards me. Not even thinking, I began to back away. "You know…as a Spirit, you'll always have a connection to us, even on Symphonia. There's really no option now but sending you down and letting it all fall into place. Remember to keep your hearts desires in check, and don't forget to learn from the past…"

A fading, golden light appeared around me, the Spirits slowly fading away inside it. Before I could blink it was all my vision could perceive. Feeling light headed, I closed my eyes and tried to will it all away. It didn't work.

***

I awoke in a forest, soft morning light streaming in between the branches. A spring glittered next to me, the waters serene and bright, reflecting my disheveled face and torn clothes. For a Great Spirit, I looked about as presentable as a hobo. Rustling suddenly started in the shrubs behind me. I turned around, noticing that those shrubs were in fact rose bushes. Whatever was stalking me seemed to realize that, gave a yelp that could have shattered a diamond, and leaped out and landed directly on me. Despite having a crimson fabric covered butt on the top of my face, I managed to have enough sense to realize that only one of the Tales of Symphonia characters had a red clothed butt. Lloyd Irving.

When the obnoxious body part was removed from my face, Lloyd stood in front of me, taking a long look at my torn clothes, my mud covered face, and everything that I had hoped no one would come to see. Without a minute of deep thought, he simply said, "Come with me to Iselia, I can get you some new clothes. You know those aren't like the ones around here." He began leading me through the thick brush, quickly running and occasionally slashing out at the monster rabbits and other animals. "Oh, I know! You were raised by a dwarf too, right?"

My hope was slowly deteriorating. I had forgotten exactly how idiotic Lloyd could be. Showing no signs of stopping, or correcting himself, I tried to hold in my annoyance until we made it to Iselia. Maybe, I thought, I would be able to get someone to help. Like Raine. Or even Colette. Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted at the center of my forehead. Trying to shake it off, I felt a psychic presence within the woods. And a physical one. Shots of a deep, plum purple appeared in the corner of my eye, and then quickly disappeared. Either I better watch my back, I thought, or I'm going crazier than I thought I was.

***

**And the plot thickens! So, tell me what you think of the new look of the story. Is it worth your time? Is it worth mine? Click the Review this Story/Chapter button, private message me, whatever, just tell me what you think. I need to know, and I need an audience, or telling this story will be pointless. Free cyber hugs for those who review first chapter! Peace. **


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